Time For Loving

This somewhat unusual offering, commissioned by Anatole De Grunwald (who never lived to see it) and from a original screenplay by famed French playwright Jean Anouilh, is set in Paris just before the second World War seen through the eyes of three couples who, over the years, frequent the same artist’s studio in Montmartre.

With the exception of some outdoor locations the majority of the film centres mostly on the apartment (formerly an artist’s studio) and from the opening shot we know it is going to get during destroyed during the war as one of the film’s characters examines the bombed-out ruins of the building. In flashback we witness three different love stories that took place in said lodgings and the first story concerns Englishman Geoff Rolling (Mark Burns) returning to this place for a tryst with his first love, Patricia Robinson (Susan Hampshire). Both are now married to other partners and discover that the old flame no longer burns (ah, have we not been here before). Their tryst is interrupted by the discovery of a couple of young first time lovers who have broken into the now near abandoned and rambling apartment by climbing across the roof. They are the son of the concierge (Didier Haudepin) and the innocent Simone (Ophelie Stermann). Rather then informing on them up to the concierge (Gilberte Géniat) both Geoff and Patricia find themselves in sympathy with the young couple and make a comic exit… but not before inviting the young lovers to finish their already opened bottle of champagne.

The next story concerns Sherman Harrison (Mel Ferrer), a middle-aged and married doctor who (of course) man who enjoys a secret affair with the considerably younger Joan McLaine (Joanna Shimkus), an American girl studying medicine at the American Hospital of Paris. The romance is doomed from the outset for not only must Joan keep her affair hidden from the nosy and suspicious concierge but from the general and disapproving public. Fed up with having to meet in seedy hotel rooms the lovers decide to escape to the seaside in Normandy (pretending to be father and daughter) though suspicions soon arise. This is very tenderly envisaged though the situation ... well we sort of know, don't we… cannot last and eventually Dr. Harrison spots Joan hand in hand with another medical student – a man of her own age although by that time Harrison himself displays doubts over his affair. Not only do his doubts spell the end of their affair but peace has come to an end as the second World War officially begins.

The last story is the best, touching on the comical side with a stand out performance from French actor Philippe Noiret (it seems unthinkable that the actor originally mooted for this part was Henry Fonda who turned it down straight away). Once again we have a much older man in an illicit relationship with a much younger woman (in this case the beautiful and adorable Britt Ekland). Oh Henry, how could you have turned down the opportunity of shearing a bed with Britt? Anyway, Noiret plays Marcel Dutartre-Dubreuil, managing (and of course married) director of a cement business who rents the former artist’s studio for his young mistress Josette Papillon (B. Ekland). In addition, Josette has a rather eccentric music teacher in Madame Olga Dubillard (the rather unique Russian Lila Kedrova) who in turn is busy with pupil Monsieur Grondin (composer Michel Legrand who also sings the film’s sugar-coated title song). By now, Paris is occupied by German soldiers and as if that weren’t bad enough it’s Christmas eve and Marcel would rather spend time with Josette than his sourpuss of a wife (Eléonore Hirt). On top of this, he bumps into a German Oberleutnant (René Kolldehoff) though enmities are brushed aside seeing how Christmas is supposed to be the season of love and peace. Still though, Marcel needs to dash across the Nazi-occupied city to join his wife and his mother (Jany Holt) for the festivities – after all, a customary seasonal dish of oysters awaits him. The the joke is that he also gets even more oysters both from Josette and from music teacher Madame Dubillard. Therefore, getting across the city in time presents a serious problem for the overweight Marcel whose only means of transport is a bicycle rickshaw operated by a woman (who struggles with her overweight passenger). In order to speed up the journey Marcel needs to consume plenty of oysters en route (who on earth could polish off six dozen at a clean sweep?) so he can make it on time for a top-secret meeting with members of the French Resistance. There are some nice shots of him being wheeled around the Who on earth could polish off six dozen at a clean sweep? near deserted Parisian streets.
For the final scene we forward some years – by now the war has ended – and all three men are reunited in the old studio.

The film does look good and director Miles excels in creating the right kind of atmosphere but the stories could be more potent. One would have expected more depth from Anouilh. Legrand's music here is hardly memorable though no doubt appropriate perhaps. Paris, whether or not for lovers, is always nice to look upon.

This newly restored film offers two hilarious bonus features are two short films by director Christopher Miles: the first one called THE SIX-SIDED TRIANGLE (30min) stars Sarah Miles, Nicole Williamson and Bill Meilen in six tales of adultery set in six different countries, with the entire film parodying each cultural stereotype.
The second film, RHYTHM N’ GREENS, featuring instrumental pop group The Shadows in this hilarious 32min short chartering the history (literally!) of England’s beaches from the Stone Age to the present day (present day being 1964).
Other Special Features are brand-new interviews with Susan Hampshire and Christopher Miles, theatrical trailer, image gallery and limited edition booklet.